MINUTES

Virginia Loader, MMCRori Andreason, MMC

September 2015

Minutes are a tangible record of the meeting

for its participants and a source of information for members who were unable to attend.

Minutes are official permanent records of the City.

Should minutes be an exact recording of everything that happens during the meeting. No. Minutes are meant to record basic

information such as the actions assigned and decisions made.

Why Meeting Minutes Matter

Before the meeting gather as much

information on the agenda items as possible Agenda summary Resolution and/or ordinance

List the attendees you believe will be there Mayor and City Council or Board Staff

Create a template for recording your meeting minutes and make sure you leave some blank space to record your notes.

Before the Meeting

Include the following:

Date, time and place of the meeting; The purpose of the meeting:

Regular Business, Workshop, Special Names of members present and absent; The substance of all matters proposed,

discussed, or decided by the public body which may include a summary of comments made by members of the public body;

A record, by individual member, of each vote taken by the public body;

Preparing Meeting Minutes

The name of the person who:

Is not a member of the public body; and After being recognized by the presiding member

of the public body, provided testimony or comments to the public body;

The substance, in brief, of the testimony or comments provided by the public; and

Any other information that is a record of the proceedings of the meeting that any member requests be entered in the minutes or recording.

Preparing Meeting Minutes

Who is your audience? Familiarize yourself with the agenda so you can

understand and summarize the discussions and still extract the essence of the conversation.

A good rule of thumb is include enough information that someone who was not present at the meeting will be able to follow the discussion as recorded in the minutes.

Introduce each item with an explanation about what was being discussed.

Preparing Meeting Minutes

When recording the flow of the conversation,

include the main points that were raised and any major disagreements.

Finally, note the decision that was reached and any action points that result from this decision.

The key purpose of minutes is to communicate clearly and objectively.

Keep your sentences short and crisp, using simple words where possible.

Aim to make your communications interesting to read and easy to follow.

Preparing Meeting Minutes

Minutes should be written in the past tense.

As they are a record of a discussion that has taken place, they always refer to an event in the past: It was noted that The Chair reported The Committee agreed that it would Members noted that the papers could be

viewed

Preparing Meeting Minutes

Active v. passive voice Active voice: the subject performs the action

of the verb. Members noted that the papers could be

viewed on the shared drive. Passive voice: the subject receives the

action of the verb. It was noted by the members that the papers

could be viewed on the shared drive.

Preparing Meeting Minutes

You will notice that the passive voice is longer and

more cumbersome. There is a strong temptation, when taking

minutes, to report everything in the passive voice. Too many passive clauses result in dense and

monotonous writing. To keep your minutes interesting and engaging,

use a mixture of active and passive voice. Using the active voice gives a sense of energy

and momentum.

Preparing Meeting Minutes

Closed Meeting

Make sure a quorum is present Two-thirds of the members of the public body

present at the open meeting to vote to approve the closing the meeting (ROLL CALL)

An ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, contract or appointment may not be approved at a closed meeting.

Closed Meetings

The following information shall be publicly

announced and entered in the minutes of the open meeting at which the closed meeting was approved: The reason or reasons for holding the closed

meeting The location where the closed meeting will be

held; and The vote by name, of each member of the

public body, either for or against the motion to hold the closed meeting.

Closed Meetings

Purposes of closed meetings:

Discussion of the character, professional competence, or physical or mental health of an individual.

Strategy sessions to discuss collective bargaining. Strategy sessions to discuss pending or reasonably

imminent litigation. Strategy sessions to discuss the purchase, exchange, or

lease of real property, if public discussion of the transaction would: Disclose the appraisal or estimated value of the property

under consideration; or Prevent the public body from completing the transaction on

the best possible terms.

Closed Meetings

Purposes of Closed Meetings (Cont.)

Discussion regarding deployment of security personnel, devices, systems;

Investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct

Closed Meeting

As people enter the room, check off their

names on the attendee list Do NOT try to record notes verbatim – it is not

necessary Minutes are meant to give an outline of what

happened in the meeting, not a record of who said what.

Focus on understanding what’s being discussed and on recording what’s been assigned or decided on.

During the Meeting

Record action items and decisions in your

template as they happen – don’t wait until after the meeting to pull them out of your notes or you could make a mistake.

If you do not understand exactly what decision has been made or what action has been assigned, ask for clarification before moving on to the next item.

Record the meeting and make sure participants speak into the microphone. Let them know it’s being recorded.

During the Meeting

Review the notes and add additional

comments, or clarify what you didn’t understand right after the meeting.

Do this while the information is fresh in everyone’s mind.

Type your notes out in the template you created before the meeting – this will make the notes easier for everyone to read and use.

Remember the minute taker is responsible for providing good flow.

After the Meeting

Focus on action items, not discussion. Include a short statement of each action taken

by the Board and a brief explanation of the rationale for the decision

When there is extensive deliberation before passing a motion, summarize the major arguments

After the Meeting

A specified local public body (county, city, or

town) shall: Make pending minutes available to the public

within 30 days after holding the open meeting that is the subject of the pending minutes;

Within three business days after approving written minutes of an open meeting, post to the Public Notice website and make available to the public at the public body’s primary office a copy of the approved minutes and any public materials distributed at the meeting; and

Open Meetings Law & Minutes

Within three business days after holding an open

meeting, make an audio recording of the open meeting available to the public for listening.

The written minutes or recording of an open meeting that are required to be retained permanently shall be maintained in or converted to a format that meets long-term records storage requirements.

A recording is not required to be kept of an open meeting that is a site visit or traveling tour, if no vote or action is taken by the public body.

Open Meetings Law & Minutes

Questions?